and nat that does it for us this morning. happy thursday. one more day to go, carol. >> over to you, don lemon. you guys are excited about that, almost friday. have a great day. this morning in just 30 minutes, wall street reopens after its biggest single day gain in more than two and a half years. we want to answer the question for you that many recession worried americans like you are asking. is the worse finally over? christine romans and alison kosik are here with some answers. we go back, christine, you're working double duty. we will bring you in first. is this big surge on wall street a sign of better times ahead or just, i don't know, one feel good day for investors? >> it is a very big feel-good day. 490 points. we were talking about this yesterday morning. we haven't seen a big move like that in 2 1/2 years but we have concerns here and as i pointed

out to you yesterday, that was a defensive move by the world central banks to make sure that the oxygen is still flowing to the european financial system and to the capital markets. so, because of big danger signals overall in the markets, that's why you had folks coming in. don't forget, a lot of things here holding the u.s. back. we had the europe situation, the european mess, that's something that still has to be resolved. we also in this country have our own debt problems and gridlock in washington on how to fix them. the supercommittee just had a superfailure and we haven't solved many of the problems that led the united states to lose its own aaa rating. we still have a jobless rate and a weak housing market. new data this morning showed us that you still have a lot of people filing every week for unemployment benefits. the things we still feel here in this country, still don't feel so good, still concerned about

europe. i don't mean to be the dark cloud with the silver lining. i'm sure alison is going to agree with me, too, i mean, let's take yesterday's rally and enjoy it and remember that that rally is a result of having to be very defensive to try to prevent another 2008 from happening. that's really where we stand. >> you like to give all good news, but you have to be the voice of reason. let's go to alison at the new york stock exchange. alison, where does wall street appear headed this hour? we have 27, 28 minutes before the opening bell. >> exactly. you know what, i will agree with christine because a new day, a new reality check. stocks in about half an hour expected to open flat to slightly lower. you'll see investors take a bit of a breather, not a huge surprise after yesterday's monster rally after the dow, you know, soaring almost 500 points and making the best gain in almost 2 1/2 years. wall street has a new worry on its plate. another sign that china is

slowing. manufacturing there hit a 2 1/2 year low. analysts are pinning it on weak demand in china and abroad. remember, europe is one of china's biggest trading partners. you'll see the weighty issues of europe make their way over to europe, as well. plenty of issues here in the u.s., as well. jobless claims climbed back above that psychological level that we all look at at this point. not a huge increase, you know, still the expectation that wall street will get a decent jobs report on friday. in fact, cnn money survey calls for gains of 110,000 new jobs added. the reality is with that, it's still not good to bring down a 9% unemployment rate. overall, concerns about the slowing global economy weighing on the markets today a half hour before the opening bell. don? >> christine touched on it just a little bit ago, what did international markets do overnight? >> markets in zurich and frankfurt, paris, london, they rallied yesterday and mixed

today because the european central bank issues, it's sort of a new warning on how bad things are. that's how europe is really viewing this. is how bad did things have to get for this coordinated effort by central banks to really just step in. you know, yesterday's action to make cash more available. it doesn't get to the root of europe's debt problem. just really treats the symptom and i think that realization, you'll see that come out more and more today. don? >> we will be watching. alison kosik and christine romans. now to politics. and, of course, at the top of the list, herman cain may be closer to making a decision about whether to move forward with his presidential campaign and mr. paul steinhauser joins us now. paul, where is the cain train on this timeline here? >> the cain train. it's in new hampshire, but herman cain, the presidential republican candidate says it could come down to his wife and family whether he stays in the race for the white house or drops out. take a listen to what he told

reporters late last night in new hampshire? >> number one. so, since i've been campaigning all week, i haven't had an opportunity to sit down with her and walk through this with my wife and my family. i will do that when i get back home on friday. secondly, reevaluate the support of my supporters. it has been overwhelming so far. thirdly, reevaluate the impact this had on fund-raising. >> fund-raising. of course, herman cain in that meeting with reporters acknowledged that fund-raising has taken a dip after an atlanta businesswoman came out and said she had a 13-year affair with herman cain this after four women claim sexual harassment allegations against cain when he was the head of the restaurant association back in the 1990s. his fund-raising dipped but started to come back later in the week. he also admitted some of his warm weather supporters have

started to maybe peel off from his campaign. don, i guess it will all come down to next week if herman cain has a news conference in atlanta, that may be the end of his campaign, but if he goes back on the campaign trail, maybe try to continue on. less than five weeks away now from iowa. >> who knows. maybe this was in the works before this happened, this woman came out. but cain is launching a new ad campaign in iowa. is that a sign that his campaign will continue? >> yeah, that right now seems to be a sign. like i said, we're just about five weeks away from iowa, just under. starting tomorrow, an ad in iowa. take a listen. >> the engine of economic growth is the business sector. now, this is good. this is bad. >> cain touting his business credentials in that ad. he touted that he's not a politician, he's a businessman. the thing about this ad, it's a very, very small ad in iowa. his campaign will be back in iowa and expected to take part

in the next presidential campaign. let's wait and see what herman cain says after meeting with his wife and family on friday back in atlanta. >> it is making for an interesting political season. thank you very much, paul steinhauser. leaving open the possibility against a woman who alleges she had a 13-year affair with the candidate. lynn wood joins our piers morgan for an exclusive interview. we'll have your next political update in an hour and reminder for all the latest political news, go to our website, cnnpolitics.com. it is world aids day. a time to raise awareness. money and fight discrimination. cnn's zain verjee joins us now from london with the headlines and reaction. hi, zain. >> hi, don, good morning. 34 million people around the world are believed to have hiv. let me give you an idea of what some of the newspapers are saying today. "the herald" in south africa has this headline. the fight against aids is not

over. it says the responsibility for caring for aids orphans is not just the government's alone. it takes a village to raise a child. we all need to play our part in ensuring aids orphans are given a chance. take a look at "the guardian." do not forget this disease. how could this be the right time to let the global fund founder, there are more than 6 million people in poor countries on the drugs right now, just as many are still in need and many more will join the waiting lists without treatment and continuing effort. three decades of progress could be reverse. take a look at dna, this is from india. its headline says slipping back is not an option. it quotes the indian philanth ropist and the paper says access to prevention and care remains inadequate for most people vulnerable to hiv. why is this? the answer is stigma, stigma, stigma. society still treats hiv-positive people like dirt. don, the united nations says the

biggest crisis is the funding of all this. the infection of hiv is actually on the rise. it's in eastern europe, central asia, the middle east and north africa. don? >> zain verjee in london, thank you very much. i want to tell our viewers also in about an hour our dr. sanjay gupta will moderate the beginning of the aids panel. >> we're getting ready for this high-level panel discussion, don, regarding worlds aids day. this is how one in red decided to put things together inviting president obama and two former presidents, bush and clinton along with bono himself. they'll be on the stage shortly to talk about what is accomplished over the last ten years and also what still needs to be done specifically. you have to look here at some of the folks that are the partners here. lots of different organizations including the clinton foundation and the george w. bush presidential center. it's an important discussion. people already starting to

filter in here. a lot of partners of one and red. i will tell you, don, 30 years now, now 30 million funerals. that's obviously the headline when looking at the past. but today is really more of a discussion of the future. how do you continue to make some of the progress that they made over the last ten years, especially with the economies down all over the world. the right people on stage are going to be talking about this. so, the science, the money and where do we go from here? i'll be moderating the panel. hopefully we'll get a chance to talk to you afterwards, as well. back to you, as well. >> thank you, sanjay. be sure to tune in at 12:00 eastern today. sanjay gupta joins bono and talk about an aids free generation by the year 2015. members of the penn state community come together to deal with the child sex scandal and it was not easy. we'll talk to the student body president who attended the forum, next. plus, it's one of the biggest pot busts in history.

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checking news across country now. the fed seized 22 tons of pot from an elaborate border tunnel

linking tijuana to san diego. look at this place. one of the biggest marijuana busts in history. authorities say the tunnel is the length of six football fields with an elevator and a rail cart system. check out this camera shot in l.a. it's bouncing around in the violent santa ana wind. some with hurricane-force strength. that means flying debris and power outages affecting tens of thousands of people and parts of l.a.'s airport went dark leading to delays and diverted flights. the reverend billy graham is in a north carolina hospital. the 93-year-old evangelist is being monitored and treated for possible pneumonia but he is said to be in good spirits this morning. members of the penn state community shared their emotions last night. students had a chance to question administrators and awkward moments, such as this one. >> i want to tell you how i feel. i don't know if all of you feel this way, but sandusky was part of the penn state family.

we all are. and i feel shame. what do i do with these feeli feelings? >> awkward silence there. t.j. bard is the undergraduate student body president at penn state and he attended that forum last night. hello, t.j., thank you for joining us. did anyone ever answer that woman's question? >> absolutely. i think the reason for the pause was just the emotion in the room at that point in time. i think a lot of people shared her emotion and i think they were absorbing it. it was the first time of that evening that someone really, truly got emotional and i think everyone was just kind of, we shared in her emotions and it was just kind of that boiling

point that we were all really emotional and we just kind of waited and soaked it in. absolutely. numerous people who addressed her then once they kind of soaked in their own emotions. >> sort of a tepid applause when she said, i feel shame. is that what many people feel? i mean, i don't know if people were applauding or just awkward because they didn't want to applaud her statement. do people on campus feel shame about this? is that the overwhelming emotion there? >> i think students were applauding her because they wanted to support her. they wanted to support her having the courage to stand up and really speak what was on her heart. obviously, she was very emotional, as are the majority of us. i think those emotions are really running the gamut at this point. a lot of us are hoeart broken ad a lot of us are still shocked but a lot of us are interested in moving on and getting closure and answers. >> you have said this, too, we should be remembering the victims. the victims are what is important here and this is very

important. this is why you're going to this institution. do you see the scandal is affecting you personally in the future and i mean other student, as well, not only you. like when you go for a job interview, will a recruiter just want to talk about jerry sandusky or the scandal? do you think it will affect your livelihood in that way? >> i think, obviously, students have been deeply affected. will continue to be deeply affected by this. honestly, the future is yet to be foreseen. that was one of the questions one of the students asked the administration. in regards to job offers and corporations if they feel they're looking at us differently than they have before. and president ericsson reassured us that corporations have a vested interest in us and more confident than ever and they're not pulling out their support from the student body. they understand this wasn't a student issue. this was administrative issue and a faculty issue and that the students shouldn't be faulted for this and they have the

upmost confidence and i think the students needed to hear that and they appreciated hearing it. >> everyone talks about school pride. i'm very proud of the college i went to. everyone is usually pretty proud of their college. my final question to you, are you proud to be a penn state student right now? >> penn state is more than the actions of a few. we're 96,000, 500,000 alumni. 56 years of history. in the events that transpired, they can't define and won't define us and have 156 years more of traditions and honors to be proud of. i'm proud to be a penn state student and my heart breaks for the victims and their families and all of us at this point we truly want the focus to be on them and for justice to be found for them. >> t.j. bard, thank you for your time. >> thank you, don. millions of dollars are going unclaimed and we're talking about tax refunds here. does the irs owe you money? we'll go to the new york stock

exchange for some details. plus, a chocolate wonderland in china. there you go. from dogs to shoes and unbelievable edible display of chocolate art.

chocolate lovers, listen up. edible chocolate artwork comes to shanghai china. it is built as the world's first chocolate theme park. cnn's zain verjee has the mouth watering details for us. sign me up, where do i buy a ticket? >> they sure are. it is a chocolate wonderland. you know, china likes theme parks. actually, don, they had an angry

birds theme park, would you believe. now they have this chocolate theme park. 200 chocolate art pieces made by dozens of chocolateirs. they have a river made out of chocolate and louis vuitton handbags made out of chocolate and some amazing paintings, too. it's pretty impressive. you could take a look at those shoes there that they managed to do something so incredible. there have been thousands of visitors coming to check this theme park out. the only thing they do not have in chocolate, don is bradley cooper. >> is that what you would like? >> yes, i would. actually. >> he's not chocolate. i'm chocolate, you could have said don lemon. >> that's right, sorry, donny. i didn't. i only had the one track mind. limitless. the a-team.

"hangover." >> thank you. thank you, zain verjee. always a good time. >> what a fine mocha it is, thanks, don. >> bye-bye. you missing some money lately? the irs may have it. isn't it usually the other way around? thousands of people still haven't gotten their tax refunds. alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. alison, i think i have some idea how this could happen because i think this happened to me. >> did it really? did you give the irs or did the irs have your wrong mailing address? is that what happened to you? >> i haven't gotten it. it has been months. they're trying to track it down and figure out where it is. >> this story is for you, don. the irs says the problem here is that it has the wrong mailing addresses. for future reference, take note here, don. you want to make sure you get your refund in the future and get direct deposit because it is faster and more secure. at this point 99,000 people have

yet to get their money. it's a small percentage of taxpayers, but those people are losing a lot of money because their average refund is at about $1,500. you add it up, more than 1 $53 million in unclaimed tax refunds. now, if you want to go ahead and check if you are that person, don, listen here. check your status at irs.gov. go ahead and click on where is my refund, which is located on the right-hand side. now, keep in mind, the irs will not get out there and try to contact you, really up to you to go after your money, don. >> i think it takes like 60 days or something. they put a tracker on it. i did it and went to irs.gov. i'm familiar with this. interesting, interesting. let's talk about things that affect most people in the country, their markets. are you still expecting a flat open after yesterday's runoff? >> nothing huge, not too bad. when we see this kind of monster rally like we saw yesterday, we often see a big pull back.

this really shows that the market, hey, may actually believe the central bank's moves may help support the global economy, but the reality of this situation is that this fixes, it looks to help the symptoms. it doesn't necessarily fix the overriding issue that europe's massive debt load is still there. don? >> all right, thank you, alison. we'll check back with you. politics now. newt gingrich says the gop race could come down to two choices. newt or not newt. sounds confident, doesn't it? we're asking the best political team on television if he's the new man to beat. plus, kris humphries accuses his wife, kim kardashian, of fraud. are they still married ini'm not sure. we'll explain inquy sh "showbiz" nyquil: you know i relieve coughs, sneezing, fevers? tylenol: me, too. and nasal congestion. nyquil:what? tissue box (whispering): he said nasal congestion...

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top stories now. in baghdad vice president joe biden honors the sacrifice of u.s. and iraqi troops. the ceremony just ahead of the u.s. withdrawal recognizes the coalition's achievement over the last 8 1/2 years. secretary of state hillary clinton meets with myanmar's new president and says sanctions will be in place. cut military ties to north korea. at the white house, a huge red ribbon marks a 30th annual world aids day. more than 33 million people worldwide are infected with the hiv virus. the opening bell ringing on wall street. you see the applause right there. and a big cheer. investors are hoping for another big day following yesterday's nearly 500-point surge. big board up yet?

once the big board comes up. it's ringing right now. we'll keep an eye on this all morning for you, if it's flat, as our folks in new york have said, they believe it is going to open flat. the big board is going to show up where it is going to open in just a moment. we'll get back to it at just a second. opening at a plus. still trading around 12,000. there you go. the dow in positive territory yesterday and at that point. yesterday at this point we were up 161 points, but not so today. we shall see. let's talk a little politics now. we'll start with newt gingrich and he said the tables have turned in the gop race for the white house. please, listen to this. >> i think whereas i would have thought it would have been mitt and not mitt, i think it may turn out to be newt and not newt and that is a very different formula than, frankly, we're having to redesign our campaign strategy because we're at least 60 days ahead of where i thought we'd be. >> didn't think he'd be at this

point, at this level at this point. i'm joined now political analyst roland martin and cnn contributor will cain. i expected at least a tie, guys. come on here. >> kyra is normally here, this is the way we roll in this segment. >> feel like i should take my tie off. >> will has an inforty complex. >> i'll stick with you since you're doing all the talking, roland. does newt gingrich have a point or is this wishful thinking? >> at this very point rudy giuliani and fred thompson were leading the pack in the republican polls. what happened to them? two of the worst campaigns in history. look, there's no doubt that newt gingrich, the former speaker of the house is wariding a wave. all of this talk about, you know, debates and, you know,

general election strategy against president obama, you need to win the nomination. he does not have smooth sails. he still has lots of issues. so, i would say, newt, calm down a bit, don't get cocky and arrogant. you still need to win some primaries. >> here's the thing, will. i guess, i guess we do. who knows what's out there, but pretty much newt is a known entity. all of his scandals and all the skeletons, i guess, have come out already. people already know about him and are supporting him. does he have a point? unlike herman cain? >> that is huge, don. that is huge. first of all, all of newt gingrich's flaws. look, we know his issues with his wife and infidelity. most don't involve the word sex which is huge. second, we already know them all. they happened over the past decade whether or not it's being the force behind medicare part d and taking money from fannie and freddie, they're known quantities. the end result because it neither has the word sex

attached to it nor would it come as a surprise. it would never feed a 24, 48-week-long news cycle the way a herman cain issue did. it's going to play in newt gingrich's favor. it means we can't dismiss him. >> no, no, no, don, i have serious issues with what will just said. what we have to own up to to is that first of all revelations about fannie mae, freddie mac the amount of money he has gotten from health care companies tied to all these various entities that he has. look, newt gingrich says one thing and does another. the congressman ron paul ad is devastating against newt gingrich. he still has to answer those questions. >> i agree with you. this has been, i've read at least three or four stories about that in the "times" over the last couple days. it has been out there. he is still gaining in the polls. so, intentional wisdom, you may say he has to answer these things, but the voter is supporting him. >> exactly. the issue is the difference

between should -- >> go ahead, will. >> exactly, don. the issue is should and will it. should it matter that newt gingrich took money from fannie and freddie? absolutely. it doesn't seem to matter to voters, right now at least, you know why, roland, because it's a policy issue and smart issue. you know what gets their attention and takes them away from their morning breakfast right now, sex. you need something like that to sink a campaign at this point. >> let me remind both of you of something. not one person has voted. y'all keep saying the voters. these are polls. i started this conversation off by telling both of you, fred thomps thompson, rudy giuliani, no entities were leeing in the polls in 2007 at this point. what happened? what i'm saying is there a difference between what happens in polls and what also takes place in the voting booth and so newt gingrich still has to deal with that. you still have to convince the voters. what i'm saying, also, more

scrutiny will now be on him and he will no longer give free rides in the debates when he was down in the polls. expect romney and perry and the other candidates to now focus on newt gingrich so not as simple as, hey, it's all known, no big deal, no, it's a different deal now. >> that's all fair. that's hard to disagree with. all i can say is i hope you're right and i'm wrong. >> you're a texas long horn, you're always wrong. >> he always has to go to that. roland, come on now. >> i got my -- >> that's what happens when you lose. you go on tv for the last five seconds and make a cheap shot. >> good-bye. thank you, guys. that's it. coming up, talking evangalism and taking it to a new place. pastor joel olsteen working on a new reality show and he says it is ready for primetime.

kanye west might want to expant his strophe room. he already has 14 grammys and just nominated for seven more. a.j. hammer joins us now live from new york. hello, a.j. kanye leads the pack this year with the most nominations but a few folks are hot on his heels. >> kanye may have the most nods this year. if i were him, i would not start counting those grammys just yet, adele got six nominations. the other nominees think she is going to be the grammy juggernaut to beat. the only real mystery, will adele have recovered from her throat surgery to perform at the award ceremony. "showbiz tonight" was there last

night. really a great night of music and we spoke with a lot of nominees including jason aldean who got three dominations last night. he said he was glad he wasn't competing directly against adele. but he told us that even though he was nominated for seven grammys last year alone, he still gets a thrill being nominated, again. listen to what he told us. >> you know, you want to jump and i wanted to rip my clothes off and bang on my chest. but i was trying to be cool because i was like, the parents are probably watching, oh, that's great, album of the year. cool. >> probably best he didn't rip his clothe off last night. some of the others who heard their name repeatedly, foo fighters and lady gaga who is up for three grammy awards in the coming year. don, she had, i don't know if you were watching. she had what i thought was not only the best performance of the night last night, but perhaps

one of the best tv musical performance i have seen, in i don't know, a decade. she and sugarland performed her hit "you and i" it brought the house down. i was on the edge of my seat in the living room. seek it out and watch this thing. it was unbelievable. >> thank you very much, a.j. back with "showbiz headlines" in an hour. are you ready for some extreme faith makeover? plans to evict a 103-year-old woman. will her home be safe this holiday season? can you believe that? that story is next. in. it's not the bayer aspirin you know. it's different. first, it's been re-engineered with micro-particles. second, it enters the bloodstream fast, and rushes relief to the site of your tough pain. the best part? it's proven to relieve pain twice as fast as before. bayer advanced aspirin. test how fast it works for you.

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this is time when we take you across country. a bizarre plane crash. shortly after takeoff this crash under to a park aircraft and caught fire and it flipped over. cnn affiliate cairo says the flight instructor and student onboard escaped with minor injuries. go on to georgia where 103-year-old vina hall and her 83-year-old daughter were supposed to be evicted from their home on tuesday. sheriff deputies refused to kick them out. the bank says they no longer plan to evict the woman. >> three, two, one! >> did you watch it? always a spectacle.

the annual lighting of the rockefeller center christmas tree. the norway spruce sparkles with 30,000 l.e.d. lights, five miles of wire and is topped off with a swarovski crystal star. probably costs more than you and i make in a year. he runs the biggest church in the country and his services are watched by millions every week. pastor joel olsteen is looking for another way to bring his message to the masses. he's teamed up with the producer of "survivor" to work on a reality. show, mark burnett. this is dan gilgoff he has written about olsteen's new adventure on our belief blog. dan, what is the story with this show? what is the idea? >> it is a unique idea. what olsteen says. he is already huge. he runs the biggest church in america. they meet every sunday in the former compact center where the houston rockets used to play.

16,000 seats and his sermons are already nationally televised as they reach 10 million people every sunday. there's a big question surrounding the show and will this introduce him to new markets and broaden his appeal even further? >> this is my bible and what it says, that's how he starts and he's on and from him and his dad. his dad started that whole thing. you're right, he's like a rock star when he goes to his events and packs these auditoriums. one things it's a built-in audience. there's no conflict like the kardashians or anything like that. >> gh right. so, the premise of the show is that he goes into towns and the show is still in development. him and mark burnett signed a deal. mark burnett is the man behind "survivor" kind of pioneered reality television and the premise is that they go to different towns and the could be a rundown neighborhood and a town hit by a tornado and it's illustrating members of his congregation doing good works

across the country. he says that america is home to the most generous and selfless people on the face of the planet. >> it's a feel-good show, like, what is it? "extreme home makeover" sort of thing. >> mark burnett says that reality television is changing so that although shows about conflict and criticism and nasty judges have done well, because of the economic downturn and because people are hurting, this is what mark burnett says. people are looking to feel good about themselves. >> yeah, yeah. it's interesting. i mean, i think that "home makeover" show does very well. a major network, in primetime. >> that's what the hopes are. right now it is still in development. they have been friending over the course of the past year. been approached many times about a show over the years. we'll see if this one works. he's got a good-looking family. thank you, dan, appreciate it. dan does great work here.

cnn.com/belief. if you like, join the conversation and leave a question for him. tosses a frisbee, tossing a frisbee has come a long way from the college campus. i want you to check this out. the frisbees thrown off a bridge and over the water and someone will make the catch. a whole tape coming up in sports. [ female announcer ] lactaid milk is easy to digest. it's real milk full of calcium and vitamin d. and tastes simply delicious. for those of us with lactose intolerance... lactaid® milk. the original 100% lactose-free milk. it's like having portable navigation. a bluetooth connection. a stolen vehicle locator. roadside assistance.

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2011, almost over. we want you to help us pick the top ten stories of the year. just go to this website, cnn.com/topstories and take part in our online poll between now and december 15th. the top ten stories of the year

will be unveiled on air and online on december 30th. let's check stories making headlines. magic johnson will kick off a free hiv testing caravan at 11:45 eastern. at 2:00 this afternoon top execs of fannie mae and freddie mac will testify at a congressional hearing. the troubled mortgage giants have come under fire forehanding out hefty bonuses. at 5:00 the president will light the national christmas tree. we are following lots of developments next hour in the "cnn newsroom." christine romans. >> hi, don. we're watching stocks. they're holding on to yesterday's gains. the dow down just a little bit. i'll tell you just what has to happen next for europe to recover and what that means for your job, your mortgage rate,

and your own economy in the u.s. >> i'm mark preston in washington. herman cain's campaign for the presidential nomination could be coming to a quick end. maybe not. i'll have more at the top of the hour. >> and i'm brianna keel ler at the white house. president obama is marking world aids day by announcing a new commitment to fight the disease in the u.s. and around the world. he'll get backup from presidents bush and clinton. we see that big red aids ribbon. thank you very much. also coming up, when you think of the top places to retire, florida and arizona probably come to mind, right. baby boomers are now flocking to some new hot spots. we'll tell you where. we all have things that speak to us. they drive us to get up early,

and stay up late. getting lost in the things we love has never felt quite like this.

-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com certainly a night to remember for parents of college basketball players. >> don, it was kind of like one of those word math problems. the zelers, their game starts at raleigh. tooil ler zel letters starts at 9:30. if they drive the speed limit for the 23 miles between the two, how much of each game could they see? look at their custom made shirts for indiana. the hoosiers taking on nc state. steve and laurie leave the second half. they miss the win.

north carolina versus wisconsin. mom and dad get there during the first half. great top ten battle. tooil ler had 12 points. they beat the badgers 670-57. great night for the zeler family. at the final practice last night the team carried the coach off the field singing the fight song. he fought back tears a number of times at a news conference after this. the bruinss are huge underdogs. you've got to watch this over and over again. this guy throws a frisbee out into the bay. meanwhile, down below there's a speed boat, and incredible catch diving out of the boat. >> no freaking way. >> i don't believe t photo shopped, whatever. here's the camera on the boat to say, yeah, it really happened.

watch as it comes down and he dives out and grabs it. >> was this planned or these people happened to be out there. >> they were trying to show guys who do trick basketball shots that they could one-up them. >> i have to high five you for that one. >> that's sports. >> thank you very much, sir. fire alarms can go off at the most inopportune moments. jeanne moos reports. >> reporter: no cause for alarm. fire alarms go off everywhere, from the u.n., to church, but the one that went off at the beginning of the nbc nightly noous made news. >> for all the stories we've covered in this economy, this one gets your attention. >> reporter: the alarm was unforgiving. >> perhaps not something special anymore. >> reporter: it went on. >> our fire alarm we assured everybody had been given the all

clear is back on. >> reporter: and on. >> thanks for bearing with us. >> reporter: not totally stopping until about 23 minutes into the newscast. >> we continue to be under no danger. clearing the electronics. >> reporter: poor brian williams is not alone. >> especially in some already close races here in the northeast. fire alarm. >> reporter: the fire alarm has been alarming anchors regularly. >> trying to sneak into the u.s. now facing -- >> reach -- oh, my goodness. >> reporter: connie chung was tore toured by one during her first show at cnn. >> there it goes again. >> reporter: there is one sure-fired tv strategy for when the fire alarm goes off when you're on the air. go to break. though even that didn't help brian williams. his case, workers changing ventilation filters in the news studio triggered the alarm, but

sometimes it's the real thing. >> this is after florida became the first state to allow citizens. excuse me, we're having some technical problems in the studio. let me try to get through this while we figure out what to do. >> we have to go to a break, guys. we have a fire in the studio. >> reporter: abandon set. the light was shooting sparks. the award for best impersonation of a fire warning goes to, calling shep smith of fox news. >> never a fire in here, but they go off. in just a minute some dude in the 50th floor will come on and go, hello, this is the fire warden. nothing weird has happened. there is a lady stuck in the toilet on the 31st floor. >> reporter: the prize for most zen reaction goes to stevie wonder. >> i'm trying to figure out a new melody consider "come on, baby, light my fire" alarm. >> go to break. >> there may be a fire on this

floor, next. >> reporter: jeanne moos, new york. we'll tell you now the dow so far not setting off any alarm bells, but stocks are tilting lower after one of the biggest wall street surges in three years. the question this morning after the opening bell, can it last? is the worse finally over? christine romans is live in new york. i don't see it's a closeup shot of you, i don't see your crystal ball there. i'm wondering if you can tell us what's ahead on wall street. is this a sign of better times ahead? >> i private tarrot cards, don. my cards have been about as accurate as all the economists' forecasts. this is a good thing. there was a 490 point rally. investors are not taking big profits and saying, i'm going to take that one and run. they're saying, okay. we think the global central

banks are going to saying they're going to make sure that's not going to get worse. we're holding the line. you see a big move up, then the next day you see the market take some of that back. it's early, only 30 minutes. we have a lot of things to worry about here. short-term funding problems in europe have been eased. that's the number one factor happening in the markets right now. we do still have challenges here in this country. we have the debt crisis in europe. central bankers who can go in with no authority and flood the zone like they did last night or yesterday. politicians have to fix the core problem. you have a deficit gridlock in d.c. this is not all about europe's debt. we still have a problem in this country. the problems that caused us to lose our aaa rating, there's been nothing done to fix that. we have a 9% jobless rate, weak

housing. those are the things that are the backdrop here. i don't want to accentuate the big cloud and not the silver lining. now the dow's up 1 point. a dow above 12,000 with all of these challenges is impressive. >> it sounds like what you were saying there, which were the negatives, unemployment, all of these things, that's what it's really going to take to rev this recovery up, right? >> yeah. it's going to take -- look, i want to be clear. we're seeing these tiny signs in this country that things are moving sideways or getting a little better in the economy. the fed has a report called the beige book that came out yesterday. it's a compilation of what all the fed banks are saying. the u.s. economy is growing. then you have this financial crisis problem in europe that's almost ready to cause us not to grow again so we're just -- i always say we're in a dangerous moment here. i think we are. i think that what we saw yesterday is central banks saying we're not going to let it

get more dangerous. now we're moving forward. >> we'll take any little bit. real quickly here, throw in a plug. what's the name of your new book again? >> "how to speak money." with with ali velchi. the chairman of a financial management company is coming up at 10:15. news overseas. just in, it's out of germany this morning. federal prosecutors in germany have opened an investigation that iran has plotted to attack u.s. bases on german soil. let's get to barbara starr with the latest on this. >> don, all of this still unfolding. the u.s. military is responding to these reports that german federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into a potential plot of iran trying to

sabotage u.s. military bases in germany to attack supply lines perhaps. if, in fact, the u.s. were to engage in a potential attack against iran. in other words, if there was an attack against iran, iran would respond by attacking u.s. supply bases in germany. officials are aware of these reports. german press report that go a german national was involved in trying to survey u.s. bases and work with iranian agents or authorities on this potential plot. we contacted u.s. military officials in germany. one of them gave us a statement saying, quote, we take any threats to our personnel, families and resources here very seriously. each commander at every installation throughout germany has the option to increase their force protection measures based on their local security environment. so this is what typically happens at u.s. bases overseas if there is a threat. local commanders can then do

what they deem necessary to protect u.s. military personnel, their families, and the bases. it's unfolding. we're not entirely clear how far this has gone, what the german authorities are particularly investigating about all of this, but clearly it's something the u.s. military in germany is well aware of. >> barbara starr, thank you very much. now politics. herman cain may be closer to make a decision whether to move forward in his campaign. mark preston joins us now. take us aboard the cain train. what's the timing? >> don, is it derailed? he continues to send us mixed signals about what his political future s. he talks about reassessing his campaign. in fact, last night he told reporters there's three things he'll evaluate when he makes the final decision about whether to continue on with the campaign or abandon it. listen. >> number one, since i've been campaigning all week i haven't had an opportunity to sit down

with her and walk through this with my wife and my family. i will do that when i get back home on friday. secondly, re-evaluate the support of my supporters. it has been overwhelming so far. thirdly, re-evaluate the impact that this has on fundraising. >> don, the most interesting thing that he said to reporters last night is the fact that he hasn't had the discussion yet with his wife and his family about whether or not to continue on. he has stayed on the campaign trail. while we suspect she remains back in georgia. tomorrow he will sit down with her and i guess the final decision will be made. i find that fascinating that he hasn't had this discussion with her yet. another question that he was asked last night, don, was if he were to become the republican presidential nominee, would all of these allegations of sexual harassment and now this newest allegation of having this very long-time affair with an atlanta businesswoman, would it hurt him as the nominee. this is what he had to say. he says, it makes me problematic

if you're looking for someone with no blemishes and no accusations. not really a strong statement from herman cain as he's reassessing his candidacy at this time. >> mark, listen, they're also launching a new campaign ad in iowa. some people are speculating that it may be a sign that his campaign is going to continue. >> yeah, that's right. again, going back to the top, mixed signals from him. they're spending $80,000 on this cable ad. let's listen as we're talking about it right now. >> the engine of economic growth is the business sector. this is good. >> herman cain right there, don, talking about his experience as a ceo and how he can turn the economy back around. makes no mention of the controversy that is surrounding him right now, but clearly that is at the forefront of what's going on in his campaign right now. quite frankly, don, he'll be

meeting with the "new hampshire union leader" today up in new hampshire. they're good friends of ours at cnn. it will be interesting to see what hard questions they have for him and how he answered them. don? >> thank you, mark preston. herman cain's lawyer is leaving open the possibility of legal action against the woman who alleges she had a 13-year affair with the woman. attorney lynnwood is joining "piers morgan tonight." we have been telling you here all morning, it is world aids day. all over the globe people are uniting in the fight against hiv/aids. this hour the president of the united states taking part in an event in washington. very big names, tops in entertainment. brianna keilar joins us. as i said to you in your earlier live shot, the big aids ribbon right there hanging over your right shoulder. >> that's right, yeah. it's here to honor, of course,

world aids day, which is something, don, that is getting a lot of bipartisan support. something we don't always see in washington these days. the event underway nearby at george washington university where the president will be making remarks. he's marking world aids day today by a white house official by announcing a new commitment to an initiative that's already in place. adding $50 million to combat aids domestically here in the u.s. prevention and treatment and also increasing the u.s. commitment to fighting aids around the world. that would be predominantly in africa. as you can imagine, it's a tough environment here in washington for new spending. the white house emphasizing that this will come from funds that the health and human services department already has. all of this, don, actually building on a program that was launched back in 2003 by president bush called pepfar.

haled by democrats and republicans as a success. this is going to continue that effort. we'll see the president's announcement, we'll see bono also. >> brianna, we're seeing right now as you and i were talking, dr. sanjay gupta. he's moderating a panel. he's given us a little look behind the scenes. sanjay will be there. he's going to report back on exactly what he found. make sure you tune in today at 12 noon. dr. sanjay gupta, bono will be with suzanne malveaux. >> also, don. >> we'll hear from the rock star about what the goal is for an aids free world by 2015. >> you'll be hearing from president's bush and clinton which doesn't happen all the time. i just learned from a white house official that president bush, they'll be on satellite. president bush will be from africa. it will be a pretty interesting event.

>> president bush doing a lot and president clinton doing a lot with the clinton foundation worldwide. we appreciate your reporting. when the current president comes we'll take the ceremony for you. it is estimated 33 million people worldwide have hiv, and one thing world aids day focuses on is finding ways to stop the spread of the view runs. cnn's zain verjee joins us. can you imagine by 2015 they said they want to eradicate this. >> well, one of the biggest challenges, if that's the goal, according to the united nations is that they face a major funding crisis. donors are really going to have to step up in order to meet that goal. many would say it's quite unrealistic. let's take a look and see what the newspapers are saying around the world. this is "the herald" headline in south africa. the fight against aids is not

over. the responsibility for caring for aids orphans is not just the government's alone. it takes a village to raise a child. we all need to play our part in ensuring aids orphans are given a chance. then "the guardian" says do not forget this disease. how can this be the right time to let the global fund flounder. there are more than 6 million people in countries on the drug. just as many are still in need and many more will soon join the waiting lists. without treatment and continuing effort, three decades of progress could be reversed. then in india "dna" it says slipping back is not an option. it's quoting a philanthropist that says access to prevention and carrey mains inadequate for most people vulnerable to hiv. why is this? the answer is stigma, stigma, stigma. society still treats hi-v positive people like dirt. don, the biggest areas wherein fekss around the world are on the rise are eastern europe,

central asia, north africa and middle east. >> thank you very much. appreciate your reporting. it is a morning after a slam dunk day on wall street so what should you be doing with your cash right now? we're asking a money expert in minutes. [ male announcer ] if you're giving an amazing gift, shouldn't it be given in an amazing way? ♪ the lexus december to remember sales event is here, but only for a limited time. see your lexus dealer.

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no problem. you want to find a place to park all these things? fuggedaboud it. this is new york. hey little guy, wake up! aw, come off it mate! geico. saving people money on more than just car insurance. keeping our eyes glued on this because we know you are too. on the big board this morning after yesterday's rockstar session on wall street. the dow is down 8.85 it's down. it got in neutral territory. one point up.

we'll keep an eye on that. let's talk about how this affects your money. emily sanders is a chairman and ceo. thanks for joining us. lots of cheering after that 490 point one-day gain. everyone's asking, can it last? >> yes, don. it is a good question because as we say to our clients, you've been very nervous the last few months with all the volatility. things are going up and down, girating. yesterday was a response to a coordinated action between six banks, u.s., u.k., european, canadian, swiss, japanese to help lower interest rates for european bank lending. >> when we've seen it go down so much, when it goes up to positive territory, take it in stride, is that what you're saying? is this a long-term indicator of anything? >> probably not. it's an indicator to an action that happened yesterday. the long-term trend is still

very nervous. a lot of uncertainty in europe. china lowered interest rates yesterday. we're telling our clients to stay cautious. >> even with the experts like you, you're saying, okay, keep it all in stride. keep it all in perspective here. we've seen big holiday sales lately, but weekly job numbers ticked up again. climbing back to over 400,000. we're getting mixed signals. when will we know if the larger economic recovery is taking hold here? >> regarding the job numbers, tomorrow is an indicator. the numbers tomorrow will show unemployment claims but also job formations. yes, the 400,000 indicator is a benchmark. we went a little over that today in new unemployment claims, but basically the unemployment rate is holding steady at around 9%. we expect it to continue in that path. >> okay. honestly, are you optimistic in you're an expert. are you optimistic that we're in

a recovery? >> we are in a recovery. the data has been better. i am cautiously optimistic and looking to the long-term signs like all the debt in the global economies. >> everybody's looking for some positive news here, especially around the holidays. any little bit of encouragement you offer we ask. we want reality as well. thank you very much. we appreciate you joining us on cnn. up next, the penn state community has a chance to speak out publicly about the sex abuse scandal plaguing the university. >> sandusky is part of the penn state family, we all are, and i feel shame.

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let's check your stories cross-country right now. the fed seized 32 tons of pot from an elaborate border tunnel linking tijuana to san diego. one of the biggest marijuana busts in the country. the tunnel is the length of six football fields with an elevator and rail cart system. check out this camera shot. l.a. bouncing around the violent santa ana winds. some with hurricane force. power outages affected tens of

thousands of people. even parts of l.a.'s airport went dark. the reverend billy graham is in a north carolina hospital. the 93-year-old evangelist is being treated for pneumonia. penn state has been just hit with its first lawsuit. it was filed by a 29-year-old man who was not mentioned in the grand jury report. he says former assistant football coach jerry sandusky molested him more than 100 times over four years. sandusky and his former charity, second mile, are also named as defendants. the plaintiff's lawyers read from a statement or read from a statement written by his client. >> i am hurting and have been for a long time because of what happened but feel now even more

tormented that i have learned of so many other kids were abused after me. >> our sister network is joining us now from state college in pennsylvania. penn state administrators hosted a student forum on the scandal. good morning to you, jean. what was that light? did this new lawsuit come up at all? >> good morning, don. it did not. it was a fascinating two hours for many reasons. i want to show you the headline. this is the newspaper of penn state university, "the daily collegian." it has as a headline, leaders address concerns. students were concerned. i saw the main focus on their mind was the board of trustees of penn state university. they don't have trust in that body many more. what they focused on over and over again was did national

pressure or media pressure force them to make the decisions they had to make? they're talking about the firing of joe paterno. they also talked about transparency. they begged for transparency in one sense even to the point of asking, can you tell us something tonight that we don't know in the spirit of transparency? many of the answers were very broad, but the students really let out their emotions. take a listen. >> sandusky is part of the penn state family. we all are, and i feel shame. what do i do with these feelings? >> a lot of the questions focused on the students themselves, one being with all of the civil suits that are going to be coming and the payouts that may have to be made by penn state, will our tuition go up? the response was, no, not at

all, because we have general liability insurance. don, there's two questions that come to my mind, will the insurance companies just readily pay out what may be huge civil settlements or will they try to show that the university had knowledge of what was happening and they intentionally did not do anything about it? i think insurance companies may not readily pay out. furthermore, if they do pay out, don, then there could be higher premiums for penn state and who's going to pay for those? >> thank you, jean. state college pennsylvania. we appreciate your reporting. we want to go now live. this is to the white house. as a matter of fact, this is former president george bush via satellite. he's speak frg africa. world aids day. >> there is nothing more effective than pepfar. the reason i say that is i'm not guessing. i've not only talked to leaders like the president of africa,

but the number of people who live today as a result of this group is staggering. there's no greater priority. this is something our american citizens must understand and our government must understand. there is no greater priority than living out the admonition to whom much is given, much is required. we're a blessed nation in the united states of america, and i believe we are required to support effective programs that save lives. >> former president george w. bush speaking from tanzania. this is being piped into the white house. bono is in the front row. sitting next to marco rubio. sanjay gupta is hosting a panel there. the end of aids by 2015. we'll dip back into this. former president speaking about the pepfar program which provided billions and billions of dollars for aids relief around the world.

he was instrumental in that. former president clinton will speak as well via satellite. the clinton foundation helping out with hiv/aids. mitt romney lands a cover of time magazine but he may not find the caption too flattering. the caption, why don't they like me? our political buzz panel offers up answers next. plus chris hum fris accuses wife kim kardashian of fraud. over the south pacific in 1943. vietnam, 1967. i got mine in iraq, 2003. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve the military, veterans, and their families is without equal. begin your legacy. get an auto insurance quote. u.s.a.a. we know what it means to serve.

back now live to washington and george washington university. president of the united states talking about the beginning of the end. the beginning of the end of aids. >> we arrived here because of all of you and your unwaivering belief that we can and we will beat this disease. because we invested in

antiretroviral treatment. people who would have died from aids, some of whom are here today, are living full and vibrant lives. because we developed new tools, more and more mothers are giving birth to children free from this disease. and because of a persistent focus on awareness, the global rate of new infections and deaths is declining. so make no mistake, we are going to win this fight, but the fight's not over, not by a long shot. the rate of new infections may be going down elsewhere, but it's not going down here in america. the infection rate here has been holding steady for over a decade. flr cumulatikmucumulative there communities in this country being devastated by this disease. when new infections a among

young gay black men increase by nearly 50% in three years, we need to do more to show them that their lives matter. when latinos are dyeing more than other groups. when black women feel forgotten when they account for most of the cases among women, then we've got to do more. this fight is not over, not for the 1.2 million americans who are living with hiv right now, not for the americans that are infected every day. this fight is not over for them. it's not over for their families. as a consequence, it can't be over for anybody in this room. it certainly isn't over for your president. since i took office, we've had a robust national dialogue on hiv/aids. members of my administration have fanned out across the country to meet people living with hiv, to meet researchers, faith leaders, medical providers and private sector partners.

we've spoken to over 4,000 people, and out of all those conversations we drafted a new plan to combat this disease. last year we released that plan. our first ever national hiv/aids strategy. we went back to basics, prevention, treatment, and focusing our efforts where the need is greatest. we laid out a vision where every american, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or socioeconomic status can get access to life-extending care. i want to be clear about something else. since taking office we've increased overall funding to combat hiv/aids to record levels with bipartisan support. we reauthorized the ryan white care act. as i signed that bill i was so proud to also announce that my administration was ending the

ban that prohibited people with hiv from entering america. [ applause ] >> because of that step, next year for the first time in two decades, we will host the international aids conference. [ applause ] >> so we've done a lot over the past three years. we can do so much more. today i'm announcing some new commitments. we're committing an additional $15 million for the ryan white program that supports care provided by hiv medical clinics across the country. we want to keep those doors open so they can keep saving lives. we're committing an additional $35 million for state aids drug assistance programs. the federal government can't do this alone, so i'm also calling on state governments and

pharmaceutical companies and private foundations to do their part to help americans get access to all the life-saving treatments. this is a global fight, and it's one that america must continue to lead. in looking back at the history of hiv/aids you'll see no other country has done more than this country and that's a testament to our leadership as a country, but we can't be complacent. >> president obama talking about the fight against hiv/aids. talking about what the united states has done and saying that the united states stop banning people from entering the country who have hiv/aids and that's why next year this country will host the global aids conference in the united states. president of the united states talking there. this is world aids day. we are remembering the people who have been affected by this disease and also hoping that the goal will be reached that those leaders are talking about, the end of aids by 2015. we'll check back in in washington in moments.

up next, mitt romney lands the cover of time magazine. the caption, why don't they like me. our political buzz panel offers answers. [ female announcer ] the humana walmart-preferred rx plan

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all right. political buzz. your rapid fire look at the best political topics of the day.

three questions, three seksds on the clock -- 30 seconds on the clock. i shouldn't use 3 seconds. i know they'll go long. let's see who the contenders are. cnn political analyst, roland martin. can i say on the left. on the left roland martin. >> actually, that's technically you're correct. that's not how i roll. >> founder and editor of citizen jane politics, patricia murphy. >> yeah. >> cnn contender will cain. you have to do something. nice. right. >> do not show that again. >> the polls are that way. >> don't show that again. >> the polls are that way. so the cover of "time magazine" features mitt romney. the caption, why don't they like me. what's your answer, roro. >> primarily because this is a guy who was plastic man when he

ran last time. he really was just so stiff. the whole issue obviously in terms of he had to deal with his mormon faith in the 2008 campaign. conservatives don't like folks who frankly evolve. really. ronald regan couldn't run for the gop nomination today so that bothers that he's taken positions in the past that he's now changed. they want somebody who stays the same, is consistent. that's his biggest deal. this whole deal, find anybody but mitt, that's what this campaign is. >> right on target. what do you think. >> go to patricia first. i don't know what you'll say, patricia. all the normal answers. maybe because he's mormon. i've thought a lot about this. i think the main inhibitor for mitt romney's popularity is style. amor ph ous, newt gingrich is that as well. the truth is, i think that's

only a problem for romney in that it lends to it's hard to find out who he is. he's a bland guy. the cliche is the democrats fall in love and the republicans fall in line. this year the republicans want to have the shine yoi bottles. >> you're done. patricia. jump in there. she's a lady but she's strong. what do you think? >> here i go. the problem with mitt romney with these conservative voters, they don't know who he is and they don't know where he is. he is keeping a bizarrely low profile. one of the first national interviews two days ago didn't go very well. in terms of who he; mitt romney on his positions has taken so many positions conservative voters don't know which one is true. they don't trust him at this point. if you look at the "union leader's" endorsement about newt gingrich, what they said about somebody, mitt romney, we would rather have somebody we disagree with rather than somebody who tells us what we think we want

to hear. >> roland says it's evolving. let's move on now to gingrich. make some bold statements. listen. >> i helped ronald regan and jack kemp develop supply side economics. i helped defeat communism in the congress. >> so do 2012 voters want to go back to the future? you can get in there while you're living, will. go ahead. >> look, here's the problem. this all ties in now with roland and patricia's analysis with mitt romney. you can't pin gingrich down identify deowe logically either. he's like mitt romney. if he wants to run on the past, talk about reagan, he needs to be ready to talk about he was the champion of medicare part d. he sat down with nancy pelosi for a global warming ad. newt gingrich will also tell you what you want to hear, he'll tell you more passionately and convincingly. newt gingrich doesn't want to look at his past. this is all about style more

than substance. >> roland? >> newt gingrich wants to stand here and just drape himself. if he could wear a ronald regan suit, actually he couldn't because he couldn't fit it. look, the problem here is if newt gingrich has been able to climb in the polls because he's been forward thinking. you don't sit here, keep trying to go, oh, i've done all these things in the past. yeah, you also ran white suburban women away. that's why you lost congress to president bill clinton. newt, you really don't want to go back on your past because your past is not that great. >> why do you want to hate on the man's suit size. >> i'm stating. i ain't hating, i'm stating. >> you live in the glass house. >> i don't live in the glass house. my house got bricks. we saw your muscle. you need to stop. >> hello. >> go ahead, patricia. >> hello. anyway, back to the point. what were we talking about? i know what we're talking about.

newt gingrich, this is the top of the self-destruct button. he doesn't need to elaborate what he has done in the past. he's treading dangerously close to al gore, i invented the internet territory. newt has a lot to run on in his past that is good. he did work with bill clinton. they did reform welfare. they ran a long era of peace and prosperity. don't make it up. >> ten seconds left, do you want to say anything else. >> i don't need ten seconds. >> see. right to the point. she's not taking cheap shots, nothing like that. >> excuse me? >> time now for your buzzer beater. 20 seconds each. here it is. conan spoofs herman cain's new add. >> cain is vowing to stay in the race. in fact, i couldn't believe this today. he started fighting back with a new campaign ad. check it out. >> jimmy carter never cheated on his wife, and we had 7% unemployment and 14% inflation.

bill clinton cheated on his wife every chance he could get and we had only 4% unemployment, 1% inflation, and a balanced budget. herman cain, because when president's get laid, you get paid. >> that was awesome! so herman cain tells cnn he'll make a final decision if he'll stay in the race in the next several days. okay. roland, your prediction. >> i think herman cain is getting out of this race. you can't keep taking these hits. also, if this came up when you ran for the u.s. senate and you told one of your advisors, how do you not think it was going to come up when you run for president? he says, put my family through t. bottom line, dude. you've got to get out. seriously. you can sell books on amazon.com without having to run for president. >> go, will. >> that's the issue.

is him staying in the race continuing to raise his profile. raising his chances of getting a tvgig? if it is, i don't know why he's going to get out. i don't think he will. that's what he's in the race for because all of these issues were there for him ahead of time. he knew they would come up. he knew they were out there. i don't think he was in it to be a president. he'll stick around. >> patricia? >> if i could predict what herman cain was going to do, i would be playing the ponies and betting on the stock market. nobody knows what he'll do. whatever he does, i hope he'll take responsibility for these problems. he's blaming it on the democrats, republicans. somebody out there who wants to get him and doesn't want to win. maybe his family's going to be the reason he gets out. whatever his decision, please take responsibility for some of it. >> my money today, i'm not sure if it's on roland and will as they were going back and forth. >> show us that muscle of yours. >> roland, we can take this in

person if you want. >> seriously, will. >> thanks, guys. still ahead, mitt romney has his eyes on iowa. wow.

let's check stories making headlines today. 11:45 eastern magic johnson will kick off an hiv/aids care ra van. at 2:00 the top exexwill testify at congress. at 5:00 president obama will light the national christmas tree. baby boomers moving to new

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turning 65. that means many of you will be thinking about where to retire down the road. florida and arizona are the most famous retirement spots. what other states are boomers migrating to and why? one of them is nevada. it's not because of the gambling. like florida, nevada has no inheritance tax. if you make less than $28,000 you may be eligible for a refund of 90% of real estate and personal property taxes. weather is not bad either, right. real estate prices are down pretty sharply. there are some cheap places to buy right now. also, oldest of the baby boomers are two years shy of the retirement age of 67. which states cut seniors a break on retirement income? georgia is one of them. it's growing more and more popular because starting in 2012, next year, taxes on retirement income will be completely phased out. state taxes on social security are already exempt.

something else to think about heading into your golden years. your medication costs. odds are they're likely going to go up the older you get. more states are getting rid of state sales taxes and prescription and nonprescription drugs to attract seniors. you've got one of them which is pennsylvania. it's also a good place to live for seniors because social security benefits and pensions are exempt from income taxes. bottom line is there are a lot of factors to consider. you could reap serious benefits financially by moving to a senior friendly state. these are some of them. for more you can go to cnn dlgs moan.com slsh slsh bpretire. >> thank you, christine. u.s. students dig up china's nuclear secrets. we'll show you the secret tunnels. ♪

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-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com there are new signs republican presidential candidate mitt romney is making an aggressive push to win in iowa. paul stein hauser has more on that. get my mouth to work. hi, paul. >> i like that. that's good. we are now less than five weeks away from the iowa caucuses. the caucuses kick off the presidential primary. the big question was mitt romney going to step up his efforts in this crucial state in take a listen to this new ad that starts playing today on tv iowa. >> i spent my life in the private sector. i've competed with companies around the world. i've learned something about how it is that economies grow.

we won't balance the budget by pretending all you have to do is take up the waste. we have to cut spending. >> little taste there you can see of romney tauting his business world credentials. it comes with less than five weeks to go. he's had two commercial alls in new hampshire. a similar one is playing today in new hampshire as well. the big question of course for romney was how big he was going to step things up in iowa. four years ago he spent a lot of time and money campaign ng iowa. it didn't work. he lost the caucuses there. then a week later he lost in new hampshire. that was the end of it for him. walking on a tight rope here. he wants to win but he doesn't want to show he's trying hard. >> paul, thank you very much. getting back to washington soon because our next political update is in one hour. a reminder for you, all the latest political news you can go to the website cnnpolitics.com. wefo